Adjustable pipe-coupling.



I E. H. FORD.

ADJUSTABLE PIPE COUFLING.

APPLICATION FILED No'v.20l Ism.

l ,30 l ,244, Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

A TTG/P/VEX VF FFIQE.

EDWIN H. FORD, 0F WABASH, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR 'IO FORD METER BOX COMPANY, 0F WABASH, INDIANA, A CORPORATION.

ADJUSTABLE PIPE-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent. y

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

Application led November 20, 1918. Serial N o. 263,357.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN H. FoRD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wabash, in the county of Wabash and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Pipe-Couplings, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to certain means for connecting water meters in service pipe lines; and one of the objects of the invention consists in the provision of means of the above character'whereby meter-openings in water supply pipe lines can be easily and quickly enlarged and reduced in Vsize to accommodate meters of different lengths.

A further object of the invention consists in the provision of certain means for connecting and disconnecting watermeters of different vlengths from water supply pipe lines which is simple in construction, etlicient in operation and cheap to manufacture.

I accomplish the above objects of the invention, and such others as may appear from a perusal of the specification and claims, by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a conventional style of a water meter arranged within a water supply pipe line, showing my invention in operation. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal 1 sectional view through the meter connection, on a full sized scale. Fig. 3 is a view partly in longitudinal section and partly in elevation of the meter connection showing its initial adjustment before being 'connected to the spud of the meter. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 except that the meter connection is shown as occupying a normal operative position. Fig. 5 is an outer View of the cylinder of the meter connection.

As a preliminary statement it may be mentioned that all water meters must be removed from water supplypipe lines occasionally when they become fouled through the accumula-tion of sediment or other foreign matter which interferes with the proper working of the internal mechanism, and as meters vary slightly in length, especially between meters of different manufacture provision must be made for accommodating these meters and for edeeting proper conclusion of ythis 'of its surface with the external nection with them, and for accomplishing the above result constitutes one of the chief features of the present case.

Referring to the drawings, 10 and 11 rep.-

Y resent the opposing ends of the service pipes between which a meter 12 is to be fitted. In placing meter 12 into position the meterspud 15 is screwed into aproper pipe-*union on the end of service pipelO, and yatthe conoperationv it may be found that meter-Spud 16 is not'long enough (as shown in Fig. 2) to admit of proper connection being made with the end of service pipe 11. To remedy a condition of this character I provide a suitable coupling comprisinga tube 20 which is provided along part threads 21 adapted to be threaded into service pipe 11, and an integral nut`22 is provided to form a `seat for the wrench in'properly seating tube20. Tube.20 is further provided with 'the square faced threads 25 which coperate with corresponding threads 26 on the interior wall of a cylinder 27 so that in rotatking said cylinder the latter may be moved longitudinally of said tube. The external surface of cylinder 27 is dressed down to provide the annular shoulders 28 and 29, the ydiameter of these shoulders snugly fitting the internal diameter of a sleeve 30 which surrounds both cylinder 27 and tube 20, and

" of cylinder 27 is also provided with an inwardly turned ange 32 which forms a seat for a gasket 33.

As heretofore stated, tube 20 and cylinder 27 are surrounded by a sleeve 30, and one end of this sleeve is provided with an annular inturned flange 36 which snugly fits the outer diameter of tube 20, and flange 36 forms a seat for a gasket 37 which prevents the escape of water between the edge of flange 36 and the surface of tube 20. The opposite end of sleeve 30 has internal threads 38 for effecting a coupling with the adjacent meter-Spud 16, and sleeve 30 is further provided with an internally located lug or pin 40 which may be moved into and out of engagement with recess 31 in cylinder 27 by slightly moving said sleeve longitudinally and independently of cylinder 27, this independent longitudinai movement of the sleeve .being rendered possible by spacing threads 25 and 26 a considerable distance apart as shown.

Withthe 4abovedescription..in:1nind,it"`xvill be observed that when a meter 'is placed'into position between the adjacent endsof a serv.-

ice pipe line and an interven-i'rigwspace' re?.

v mains as shown in Fig. 2, sleeve 30 is moved longitudinally unt-ih pin .40 rests. Within re'- eess 31, and then by rotating sleetgeO cylinder 27 is caused to rotate therewith" and through. the. medium ofthneadsQ ,and 26 theI tlneadedgend. 38;.offsleeveQ may be 'brought into contact with. meterrspudl 16, as show-n. inl ,Figw lthe Ven nel'usic-n of the latter.. op eration,..sleeve 30 is. su seeptible of' l'being moved i independently and longitudinallynof,,cylinder 27, las heretofore describedrbfy .the/spacing; othreads .25 and 26to.di'sengagepin 40 :Eroxnreoess Shatter d iierent lengthsA canbe aeornmodated Withnprescribed limits inan opening 1n a servlieelpipe. ll'riez.. f

. Havingjthnsfnlly ,described inysaid invention, what I desire t0 ysecure by Letters Patent-lsrr-n, i ,.L f f A.device ,of ,the .character` described comprising-a tube` fon..eonneetingl the end of a. servcevp-pe, a, revolnbleeylinder arrangedeon said;it-ibaL meansjor. moving said 'eylnderlongitudina ly when rotated for 'ehaaignigthe length of thegdeviee, a .sleeve f terming. zal eenneetien .with .a meter-Spud surrounding Said' .sleeve and` havingI independent longitudinal `and rotational travel of said' cylinder, and means for temporarlly connecting and for simultaneously rotating ".the' slee'veland 'cylinder ati fthe! will".y otn `the operator.- Y

2. A device of the character described a service pipe, threads on the external sur-V faceofsaid tube, a cyhnder Snrroiniding said tube,.threads arranged on the internal Wall of said cylinder and operatively engaging the threads on the tube for ynaezving said .cylinder longitudinally Whenrotated, a

,sleeve arranged .aroundl:said .cylinder ,and having, independent longitudinal fand rota-V tienaltravel 0f vsaid"cylinder1 threadsin the v endof the .sleeve to iorm.a..conneefion ifvvith nietei4spud,nand `Ineens.:..interposed` betiveen the sleeve and cylinder for tempoltarilyI connecting and simultaneouslyrotatingthe Sleeve andi Qylinderatthe wllnf the operator.

"3.; `device yof the r character.desegrihed `.ceniprisingatnbe'for connectingrthe end 0f a service. pipe, threads@ on. the .external surface offfsad tribe, a eylinden .SaIlIA'I'QUIld-rlg said tube and. havinga notch.. initsouter surface," threads arnangedl .en the; internal Wallotlieeylinder and,.operativel,y engaging the threads 4. on. the tnbeor wmovingrsaid sleeve arranged. around said; cylinder and having 'lonwitudinal and {rotational} travel carried 'by said Sleeve and`adaptedi-tofer1gage the fno'teli in .the .cylinder ier simultaneously retatingsaidsleeve and.eylinderwatttheyvill of ther'openaton.

'In Witnesswhereof, I', have-fhereuntoset my, and` seal at Wabash,.1ndiana, this 13th day ci Novern`loer`,A*l Daonegll'lqusand nine,huadredaandeiehten-.

2 EDWIN'HQEORD; Lina] 

